Many Public Workers Agree They have it Better Than Private Sector Peers

April 9, 2012

Many Americans continue to believe government workers have it easier than their private sector counterparts, and that includes public servants themselves.

Sixty-six percent of 1,000 adults polled recently by Rasmussen Reports said they believed private sector employees work harder than government employees, and 56 percent believed government workers earn more annually.

Nearly half of government workers in the survey -- 46 percent -- agreed they don't work as hard as their private sector counterparts; 32 percent said they work harder, and 22 percent were not sure. The government workers also saw eye to eye with their private sector counterparts about job security: 62 percent of government employees said they have more security and 67 percent of overall respondents held that view.

The government employees did differ in how they viewed their pay. Just 35 percent of those who identified themselves as government workers said they thought the average public servant earns more annually than the typical private sector worker.